Monthly Musings And What's In My Coffee Bar

1. Favorite Fall Tradition?

Ah, it used to be going pumpkin picking, because that also usually involved a hayride and apple cider. 

Circa 1990

2. Favorite Halloween Tradition? 

Me and Blue's annual Halloween party! Again, something that "used to be." Siiiighhh.

3. What Will Halloween Look Like This Year?

Probably just watching movies and eating Halloween candy since we don't have many trick-or-treaters in our area.

4. Favorite Fall Recipe?

I did a post about this last year, but basically anything with beef, cheese, and noodles lol! This super easy Amish Country Casserole is usually on repeat during fall. And these mini Oreo pumpkin cheesecakes are always a crowd pleaser! 

5. Favorite Fall Fashion Staples?

Chunky cardigans, hoodies, and boots! 

6. Favorite Halloween Costume?

Oooh, this is hard. On my own, probably the "Freudian Slip" (especially since I was a psychology major in college... and I won second place for best costume in a contest that year!). But I also love couples' costumes, and last year I had a lot of fun really getting into character as Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump. I even "danced" on my knees (because "You ain't got no legs, Lt. Dan")!

Freudian Slip- 2014

Lt. Dan

7. Favorite Halloween Candy?

Twix, Snickers, and Crunch... in that order.

8. Favorite Halloween/Fall Movie?

Hmmm... I liked The Craft, Cruel Intentions, The Lost Boys, and Interview with a Vampire.... but favorite is probably Practical Magic. Hocus Pocus is fun too. 

9. Scary Movies?

Not really. I've seen most of the classics (Halloween, Nightmare on Elm St, Candyman, Scream, Poltergeist, etc.), and I like psychological thrillers but not a fan of gore. 

10. Favorite Fall Beverage?

Non-alcoholic: warm apple cider

Cocktail: Smoked Apple - here are a bunch of other bourbon cocktails I've enjoyed! 

Beer: Anything pumpkin! Trying 5 new ones is on my Fall Bucket List- I keep track on Untapped. If you're also a beer connoisseur, I'd love to be friends! 

What's In My... Coffee Bar

I can't say I really have a coffee "bar," but I do keep all my coffee items together! As you can see, I have my small coffee maker, long spoon and dish, and mug tree on my counter and then my coffee/tea items in a small cabinet right above it. 

I'm a purist- you won't find any specialty coffees or syrups here! I stick to Folgers, though I do have a bag of Dunkin Donuts grinds from a blogger swap last year, and a small container of Maxwell House that my mom got me during the early days of quarantine. My "fixins" are simple too- regular white sugar (kept in a diner-style sugar canister) and whole milk (obviously not in the bar area!). I keep some ___ around for Blue when she's here. As for tea, my favorite is Big Win, which an old coworker turned me on to many years ago. I have green tea for Blue, and a few other flavors from various other boxes that are so old I should probably throw them out. Does tea go bad? 

I also don't have a fancy coffeemaker. I've been using the same 4-cup Mr. Coffee for over 10 years and it still works and suits me perfectly! I always set it the night before to turn on just before I wake up, so I wake up to the aroma of fresh coffee- aaah! I fill it to just above the 3-cup mark which makes just the right amount for my traveler's mug that I was bringing to work with me every day. Since March though, I have to admit that I've been drinking more coffee. I try to only refill it once.

Aside from my traveler's mug, I love my oversized mugs, and have been rotating them constantly during my work form home days! My favorite ones are my Starbucks mugs. I like my mugs with cute sayings on them but they're regular size so I don't use them very often! I think I got my little mug tree from Home Goods... again, many moons ago! The ones pictured are the ones that are in rotation, though I have a few extras that I keep on the top shelf of my "bar." 

Since there's an additional shelf in my small cabinet, I keep baking goods there. In my head they just seem to go together. So yeah- flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, chocolate chips, evaporated and condensed milk... those are usually the things I have on hand all the time. 

And that's it! What's in your coffee bar? 

What are your plans for Halloween? 

Linking up with Patty, Holly, Adrienne and Ashley!